Using essential oils...

So, as far as I can tell, the only thing essential oils have in common is that they are pure extracts from plants. However, each different oil has different properties.I'd really like any and everybody's information who has made their own mixtures for their dreads using essential oils-- particularly about which essentials oils are safe for hair/skin, because it seems that many are not. Ideally I would like to be able to use a citrus essential oil (grapefruit?) for the scent, but I am sure that is very acidic and don't know what it should be counterbalanced with or if it should even be used at all..Are there any hair chemists out there?? Hahaa..
updated by @so-wouldve-i: 01/13/15 08:50:22PM

teatree anticeptic helps dandruff kills bacteria and the best thing is it prevents licerosemry helps dandruff makes hair grow long and strong smells nice\pepermint mint tingly feeling some say helps dandruff clears sinuses and mucouse congestion and headaches especialy sinus headacheslavander smells nice treats mold/mustinessjojoba best conditioner u can getorange oil helps skin but also dissolves wax the body splash we have to remove wax is orange oil based which straight orange oil dissolves even glues caulks and tars


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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I use teatree and lavender when I make my shampoo.Teatree to keep the bugs out and lavander because its got such a gorgeous smell!I, weirdly, make everyone smell my dreads right after washing them :L

soaringeagle said:

teatree anticeptic helps dandruff kills bacteria and the best thing is it prevents lice
rosemry helps dandruff makes hair grow long and strong smells nice
\pepermint mint tingly feeling some say helps dandruff clears sinuses and mucouse congestion and headaches especialy sinus headaches
lavander smells nice treats mold/mustiness
jojoba best conditioner u can get
orange oil helps skin but also dissolves wax the body splash we have to remove wax is orange oil based which straight orange oil dissolves even glues caulks and tars

see what you're saying orange oil is used for makes me think i'm correct in being weary about using it, because if i don't have nasty sticky stuff in my hair then won't it just end up damaging my nice clean hair? is there a more basic (as opposed to acidic) essential oil that would make citrus oils alright to use?any information about making shampoos is more than welcome because i really don't know where i would start. in particular i was also wondering about things you can use to smooth down baby dreads, a friend suggested aloe but i kind of wanted something more fragrant, and something that even works better

I Loove using the the peppermint oil. It's so great with a nice hot steamy shower... I used it with tea tree oil the other day in my BS wash and my hair and entire apartment smelled like Christmas all day. AWESOME!!

dont bother smoothing out the dreads at all unlerss u got a formal event then use aloeu can add a lil fragrence if u want but wouldnt use anything but aloe


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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I bought this awesome book at some anarchy bookstore on Haight St. in San Francisco. It's called make your place by raleigh briggs. I highly recommend purchasing from there or ordering it from Microcosm. Lots of affordable and natural recipes for all purpose cleaners to pms symptom remedies; shampoo recipes too. Totally worth five bucks and then some. There's a nifty chart "Choosing Herbs for Your Skin & Hair." Either the herb or the oil. I'll try to break it down since I don't think I can put table coding/don't want to because it would give me a headache. There are four categories: oily, dry, sensitive and antibacterial. Rose, and lavender have all four categories, so they're "excellent in any situation." Licorice has three out of four. It is not an antibacterial.By category (note that some appear in more than one)Oily: horsetail, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbana, licorice, mint, rose, rosemary, sage, tea tree, witch hazelDry: aloe vera, calendula, chamomile, comfrey, horsetail, lavender, licorice, mint, nettle, orange blossom, rose, St. John's WortSensitive: calendula, chamomile, comfrey, lavender, licorice, roseAnti-bacterial: birch, cinnamon, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, rose, rosemary, sweet orange, tea tree, thymeI'm currently using a couple drops of rosemary, lavender and tea tree oil in my baking soda soak. I ran out of peppermint, booo. Anyway, my bf says my current combo smells awful, so I'm going to try rose and I'm definitely going to buy more peppermint.Anyone have any experience with rose?Also, if anyone has any other handy info/charts with herbs and essential oils that weren't mentioned I'd be happy to combine them. Coding a chart may be worth it for that.

Megan Bell said:

soaringeagle said:

teatree anticeptic helps dandruff kills bacteria and the best thing is it prevents lice
rosemry helps dandruff makes hair grow long and strong smells nice
\pepermint mint tingly feeling some say helps dandruff clears sinuses and mucouse congestion and headaches especialy sinus headaches
lavander smells nice treats mold/mustiness
jojoba best conditioner u can get
orange oil helps skin but also dissolves wax the body splash we have to remove wax is orange oil based which straight orange oil dissolves even glues caulks and tars

see what you're saying orange oil is used for makes me think i'm correct in being weary about using it, because if i don't have nasty sticky stuff in my hair then won't it just end up damaging my nice clean hair? is there a more basic (as opposed to acidic) essential oil that would make citrus oils alright to use?

any information about making shampoos is more than welcome because i really don't know where i would start. in particular i was also wondering about things you can use to smooth down baby dreads, a friend suggested aloe but i kind of wanted something more fragrant, and something that even works better